Quid Pro Quo Harassment

Overview/Description
 "You can have the promotion if you'll sleep with me." Some acts of quid pro quo sexual harassment are as blatant as that statement but many are not. When innocent flirting develops into more - or when a relationship that started as casual dating goes awry - an employee and the whole organization can be flirting with disaster. You'll learn how even employees who are not actually involved in the situation may be affected - and in some cases, affected enough to entitle them to file lawsuits of their own! Then, you'll look inside the heads and hearts of all the people involved to see why quid pro quo harassment is so devastating. You'll get a clear sense of what it is like to be a victim of sexual harassment, a coworker close to the situation, or an employee from another part of the organization. You'll even gain insights into the psychological repercussions for a typical perpetrator. Then on to an in-depth look at the victim and their responsibilities. All employees - that is to say, all potential victims - should know the five basic harasser profiles, the appropriate steps to take when things begin to get out of hand, and how to go about actually making a formal charge of harassment. Finally, you'll get to "sit on the bench" yourself and see if you can guess how a real judge ruled in a real case of alleged quid pro quo sexual harassment. This SkillSoft product has been reviewed by the Employment Practice Group of Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green. As of the date reviewed, the content of this course is in compliance with federal law and court decisions.

Target Audience
 Training Managers, Human Resource Managers, Functional Managers, Frontline Staff

Expected Duration
2.5 hours

Lesson Objectives:

Blatant Acts of Harassment

  • recognize what defines quid pro quo sexual harassment.
  • identify unwelcome and unsolicited behaviors.
  • choose statements that are requests for quid pro quo sexual favors.
  • identify examples of illegal verbal or physical conduct.
  • given a list of options, choose those that could be given in exchange for quid pro quo sexual favors.

    • Harassment Hurts Everyone

  • recognize the negative effects of sexual harassment on the victim, the harasser, coworkers, and the whole organization.
  • identify potential results of harassment for the victim.
  • identify potential results of harassment for the harasser.
  • identify potential results of harassment for coworkers.
  • identify potential results of harassment for the whole organization.

    • Seeing It From the Victim's Point of View

  • recognize the importance of considering the victim's point of view in sexual harassment procedures.
  • specify the responsibilities that a victim has and the steps they should take.
  • specify the steps that must be followed in making a formal charge of sexual harassment.

    • You Be the Judge

  • recognize the evolving standards regarding sexual harassment derived from recent court cases.
  • judge facts from a real case of sexual harassment, Ellerth vs. Burlington Industries, Inc., to see if your verdict matches the verdict of the judge in the actual trial.
  • judge facts from a real case of sexual harassment, Gebser vs. Lago Vista Schools, to see if your verdict matches the verdict of the judge in the actual trial.
  • judge facts from two real cases of sexual harassment that involve employers spanking employees, to see if your verdicts match the verdicts of the judges in the actual cases.

    • Course Number: HR0132